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anniereads221's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
The three points of view as follows is:
August centred POV in the third person
Grandfathers dictionary
And a letter is being written by a reverend of the ex-missionary
When it throws you into the story of August going back to her family home in massacre Plains to go to her grandfather's funeral. She hasn't been home since she was sent to Britain and stayed. She wants to find her grandfather's dictionary that he was seen writing before his death. But with that, she also has the memory of her sister in her mind as her sister went missing when she was a child.
The more we learned, the more I was intrigued and was enjoying the journey of this book.
I feel like this book won't be for everyone, as the POVs prove. But I am so glad I decided to reread it and understand how it all fitted together properly in the end.
I am glad I started with this book for 2024 after my rereads of the Monk and Robot series
Graphic: Violence, Genocide, Death, Murder, Grief, Child death, Racism, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Colonisation
Moderate: Eating disorder
lettuce_read's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Colonisation, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
babblingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Racial slurs, Pedophilia, Murder, Violence, Grief, Racism, Colonisation, Child abuse, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Child death, and Death
spinesinaline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s a book about grief in more ways than one: more recent and past losses of family members, the horrific treatment of their ancestors and through that treatment, the loss of lives, culture, language, and land. Winch does not shy away from details so there are some very brutal descriptions in here, so do take note of the content warnings. I wasn’t surprised to learn this history but horrified all the same.
As someone who works in the archives and museum field, I also really appreciated seeing these institutions called out in terms of how they handle Indigenous objects and requests for repatriation to this day. Getting to experience the unfeeling policies from those whose objects are held, without consent in many cases, by museums and archives is a welcome perspective that more professionals should be exposed to in reconsidering these policies.
Graphic: Death, Colonisation, Murder, Racism, and Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, and Pedophilia
madetofly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Colonisation, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Drug use, Child death, and Racism
Minor: Alcoholism and Addiction
carlytenille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Grief, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Racism, Death, Incest, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Violence
penguinsquack's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Eating disorder, Genocide, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs
skudiklier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Slavery, Eating disorder, and Genocide
Moderate: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Rape, Blood, Murder, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Child death, Alcoholism, and Cancer
Minor: Animal death, Suicide, Ableism, Vomit, and War
bookishcori's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Racism, Sexual assault, and Grief
the_page_traveller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Colonisation, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Drug use, Racism, and Death
Minor: Eating disorder